A 2000 aerial
view showed the adjacent land use which would eventually spell the
end for this small airport -

a gravel mining
pond had been constructed adjacent to the west side of the airfield.

A 2009 aerial
photo showed the gravel mining pond had extended to the western edge
of the runway.

At
some point between 1975-95, North Landing Field had been renamed
Morningstar Field,

as
that is how it was labeled on the 1995 Omaha Sectional Chart.

According
to Keven Grove, “The Morningstar family owned the land & I
think the airfield was on the north portion of it.”

A 2010 aerial
photo showed that the runway had been relocated to the eastern side
of the property, away from the expanding gravel mining operations to
the west.

Keven Grove
observed, “The mine was nice enough to allow the airfield to
remain a few more years by relocating the runway until they were on
its threshold as well.”

A
circa 2010 aerial view looking north depicted the large number of
individual hangars at Morningstar Field,

along
with the runway which had been relocated to the east side of the
property.

There
were no aircraft visible outside.

The
last photo which has been located showing aircraft at Morningstar
Field was a 9/14/12 aerial view looking southeast.

Three
light single-engine aircraft were visible parked outside the hangars.

The
land use which would eventually spell the end for this small airport
was visible on the right side - a gravel mining pond.

A
2013 photo of Morningstar Field.

In
2013, the FAA Airport/Facility Directory described Morningstar Field
as having a single 2,333' turf Runway 18/36,

listed
the owner as Martin Benskin, and the manager as Dave Kalwishky.

It
was said to have a total of 56 based aircraft, and to conduct an
average of 54 takeoffs or landings per day.

A
2013 news item reported on the closing of Morningstar Field:

“Morningstar
Field has operated north of Interstate-35/80 & east of the Des
Moines River for about 60 years.

The
owner has leased the land to a nearby gravel company, which plans to
use the land for mining.

The
airport will be closed at the end of this month.

Morningstar
Field is a grass strip with hangars where private pilots kept small
aircraft.

It
had about 40 airplanes housed at the field until pilots learned of
the upcoming closure & began relocating to other airports.”

A
10/15/14 aerial view looking southeast shows the gravel mining pond
further encroaching on the site of Morningstar Field,

but
the runway & most of the hangars remained intact.

An
11/11/14 photo by Keven Grove at the site of Morningstar Field,
showing “the only hangar salvaged for reconstruction. It
took us one month to remove, just barely staying ahead of the
wrecking crew.”

An
11/28/14 aerial view by Keven Grove looking southeast at the site of
Morningstar Field, showing the hangars & runway.

A
12/21/14 photo by Keven Grove of the remains of Morningstar Field,
showing “the club house where members gathered for coffee every
Saturday morning for over 60 years.”

Showing that you can't always trust
aeronautical charts, Morningstar Field was still depicted on the 2015
Sectional Chart,

more than 2 years after its
closure.

Keven
Grove reported in 2016, “Morningstar may still be on the charts
but is officially closed as a mining company has literally
'undermined the operation'.

I
bought the nicest hangar of nearly 50 from the field & was the
last out.

Very
sad to the area aviation community.”

The
site of Morningstar Field is located northwest of
the intersection of Northwest 6thDrive & Interstate 80.

Thanks to Kevin
Grove for pointing out this airfield.

____________________________________________________

Cram
Field, Davenport, IA

41.555,
-90.605 (East of Des Moines, IA)

Cram Field, as depicted on the
September 1934 Des Moines Sectional Chart.

According
to the Quad Cities Online, “Cram Field Davenport Municipal
Airport was dedicated on Armistice Day, 1928

in
honor of Ralph Cram, editor of the Davenport Democrat & Leader
newspaper.”

On
11/13/28 a Davenport newspaper described the airport: "Ten years
ago a cow pasture, today one of the best airports in the central
west.

Developed
from a modest start approximately 10 years ago, the city today has a
modern airport located within the corporate limits on Division Street
Road.

Rock-surfaces
runways total nearly a mile in length & there is a large hangar
(another was built and dedicated in 1929),

office
building also containing a repair shop & instruction room for
student pilots, refueling & restaurant facilities on the grounds.

The
field is equipped for night landings, and was used by the United
States Army during the time the Air Corps flew the mail.”

A
gasoline pump at the field advertised Mobilgas.

The earliest
depiction which has been located of Cram Field was on the September
1934 Des Moines Sectional Chart,

which depicted
Cram as a commercial/municipal airport.

A
1930s aerial view looking east at Cram Field.

A
1930s photo of several planes in front of a hangar labeled “Cram
Field”.

A
1930s photo of a row of Piper J-3 Cubs in front of a hangar labeled
“Cram Field”.